What is Permission-Based Marketing: Definition, Benefits, & Examples

Understanding Permission-Based Marketing

What is permission-based marketing’s definition? Permission-based marketing, also known as permission marketing, refers to a marketing strategy in which a consumer agrees to receive promotional messaging from a brand. With this marketing style, the consumer can opt-in and subscribe, signaling to the marketer they’re interested in receiving their company’s marketing material—with the choice of opting out at any time.

Marketing guru Seth Godwin coined this term in his 1999 book, “Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends, and Friends into Customers,” which offers this strategy as an alternative to more invasive marketing tactics. He explained that permission marketing gives consumers the opportunity to receive promotional content that aligns with their interests rather than being bombarded by marketing content that they didn’t want (nor agree) to receive in the first place.

So, how does this compare to non-permission-based marketing? Non-permission-based marketing occurs when a marketer sends marketing material to consumers without consent. For example, maybe the marketer purchased a list of telephone numbers or email addresses from a third party and then decided to deliver promotional messaging to those contacts without their permission.

Now, it’s important to note that some forms of marketing must be permission-based by law. For example, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is a federal law that says marketers must obtain written consent before sending marketing material to mobile users. By law, sending SMS messages is strictly permission-based, and consumers must opt-in before receiving any promotional messaging on their cell phones. Here’s more information on text messaging laws by state.

The Benefits of Permission Marketing

Permission marketing benefits both the marketer and the consumer—Marketers get to send content to consumers who are listening and receptive, and consumers get to receive content that aligns with their preferences.

As a permission-based marketer, you deliver your branded content to a targeted audience that is already hooked and wants to hear more. For example, this pool of customers may be eager to learn about your new products or score special promo codes for future purchases. Because these consumers are already interested in your brand, providing them with relevant content can lead to higher engagement and conversion rates than other forms of marketing.

Moreover, incorporating permission marketing into your strategy can help you build customer trust. In a world where it seems our inboxes are constantly slammed with spam, requesting their consent is a sign of respect, making your customers more likely to become loyal, long-lasting customers of your business.

Think of it from a consumer’s perspective. Let’s say you’re a die-hard espresso fan and an avid supporter of your local coffee shop. You’re always excited to try their new brews and get discounts on your purchases, so you were stoked when the coffee shop asked you to subscribe to receive marketing material from them. As a result, you feel happy when you see their messages in your inbox and even find yourself interacting with their content.

Now, compare that to that auto shop you went to just one time, and ever since, their promotional messaging has been clogging up your inbox—and you never even agreed to receive it in the first place! As a consumer, you’re likely to get annoyed with the auto shop and maybe even decide to go with another one the next time you need your car serviced.

Discover More About EZ Texting

EZ Texting provides an easy-to-use and affordable platform for sending SMS messaging as part of your permission-based marketing strategy. To learn more and being your text marketing journey, contact us today to learn more about our text marketing solution for small businesses.